how does this setup look for an HTPC?

pud · Mar 4, 2009

dude_56013 · Mar 4, 2009

Have you checked NewEgg...you can probably get a lot of that cheaper.

pud · Mar 5, 2009

youre right.
I switched motherboard and cpu for these ones
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131320
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103244

then got rid of the sound and video cards
and for the same items newegg canada is $143.99 cheaper. So thanks.

Now, is this stuff all going to do what I need, do i need more? is it total overkill?
Are the oboard video and sound on that board good for home theatre?

dude_56013 · Mar 5, 2009

Will you post all the links from newegg canada please. Then I'll take a look. Just makes it easier for me. Upon first glance, everything looks good and I love that CPU..it should do just what you need it to. As for the onboard, if it were me, I'd definitely try it out and see if it does what you want it to do first...then, if you want to upgrade, grab yourself a half-way decent vid card!...why spend the money if you don't need to.

pud · Mar 5, 2009

case: (but in black)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144232
BD Rom:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136154
Memory:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227199
Tv Tuner:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815276008
IR receiver/media display thingy hah:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999192
HDD:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145166

dude_56013 · Mar 5, 2009

What's your budget in Canadian dollars? Sorry...it's hard to think when you are used to USD..

Edit:
I'm sorry if any of this is overbudget, but I'm going to post some parts I prefer over what you have:

RAM 1066 G.Skill 4GB

I personally like this case, but if you can't afford it, I understand. I'd slap this PSU in there. This just seems better to me, cuz you never know how good that PSU is that comes with the Apevia.

It's a matter of personal preference but I like this drive. I've got 2 of them.

Hauppauge is really good when it comes to tuner cards. I like this one...seems to be very functional.

So let's see that's about $577 US dollars total (with rebate) according to google...and that's equal to $744 CAD..a good price if you ask me. You are definitely saving a bundle if onboard video and sound work out for you...which I'm ASSUMING they should as long as you aren't running some killer resolution.

pud · Mar 5, 2009

right now my newegg cart is at $836 shipped. I dont want to top $1k and I still need an OS like media center, a psu and a few cables. I also have that antec IR receiver in there, which is $107. So that puts our prices are roughly the same. I like the case that I picked because it has a full 5.25" external drive for the ir reciever/media interface ( http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999192 )

Ill provide some reasoning here why Im considering this, to give you some more insight to my situation.
I finally got rid of my old crt and bought a 42" samsung plasma a month ago ( http://www.samsung.com/ca/consumer/...ype=tv&subtype=plasma&model_cd=PN42A450P1DXZC ) and it wont pick up my ntsc cable signal. So I have an old vcr being used as a medium to pick up the signal and send it to my reciever then the tv. I also have a very old DVD player that doesnt like to read discs. Canada is switching to ATSC in 2012 so I will need an HD box, and a PVR one is $300. A decent blu ray player here is about $300. So im looking at about $600 plus hdmi/optical cables to upgrade.
Then I got thinking that I may be able to build an HTPC to suit my needs for roughly the same and have more capability. All I want this HTPC to do is play my movies, go online and play streaming content (music/movies etc), do all the things your average desktop pc does and get rid of all the mess of cables I have running.
So as far as resolution goes, I dont really need the blu ray player, Im content watching regular dvds but I figure if im going to get an optical drive, the value is there in having the BDrom. For HD programming, when the time comes that I have to switch to ATSC then Im sure I will have some HD channels.

long winded I know, but that should give some insight into what kind of resolution Ill be running. I know nothing about resolution, I fell out of the loop when the plasma and lcd tvs came out.
thanks again.
-Al

edit: I see if I go with a cd/dvd drive then It will knock off $100 from my price, its real tempting, my local movie store doesnt even rent blu ray discs anyway and I can always upgrade. So im going to drop the BD capability and opt for a $30 dvd rom so my new price is $720 shipped.

dude_56013 · Mar 5, 2009

Is there a reason you want a receiver? Pretty much just going to display dvd/cd info and allow you to change volume--you can change channels and probably volume with the tuner card. Or are you just getting it for the "coolness" factor? Or is it that you are looking to go full keyboard and mouse-less?

If you are getting a DVD writer, grab this.

pud · Mar 5, 2009

coolness factor-makes it look like a media component, displays info....and go keyboard/mouseless for basic operating uses.

The tv tuner card has an external IR reciever, would there be a way to tie that card into the antec unit's IR reciever so to not have to have that extra appendage?

dude_56013 · Mar 5, 2009

pud said:
coolness factor-makes it look like a media component, displays info....and go keyboard/mouseless for basic operating uses.

The tv tuner card has an external IR reciever, would there be a way to tie that card into the antec unit's IR reciever so to not have to have that extra appendage?

I may be missing something, but that external IR receiver on both the tuner card and receiver is just to connect the IR sensor for the remote...I don't think it has anything to do with connecting them together. My thinking is though, that with that receiver, you will be able to control the functions of the tuner card...I may be wrong, though.

how does this setup look for an HTPC?

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